Waking Sound
by Perfections-Cat
Summary: It was the last place Sasuke wanted to be, and somehow the very place he needed to be. Yet, though all roads lead home, life hardly comes full circle. MA, various pairings.
1. Prologue

_Place me like a seal over your heart,_

_like a seal on your arm;_

_for love is as strong as death,_

_its jealousy unyielding as the grave._

_It burns like blazing fire,_

_like a mighty flame._

- Song of Solomon 8:6-7

He had said he didn't care. Orochimaru could have his body, could have his soul because certainly following through on that promise would have left his body bereft of all that was him.

A shudder consumed his arm, and Sasuke exhaled shakily. Unaware of the way his breath stirred the too-long raven locks of his brother, of how that simple act of _life_ earned a similar response from the older Uchiha.

But this. . . this was how he had wanted it. This was the only manner appropriate for them, and something small - something that still knew Itachi - whispered that his brother understood as much. Maybe even accepted it.


	2. Chapter 1

It starts with a whisper. A whisper of a thought. A whisper of a dream, a want. A single desire to _do_ that doesn't quite leave but hardly shouts its existence. It builds. Waiting, buying its time. Moving forward one step at a time, always prodding with _one day_.

It is crafted by patience. And patience is something that must be learned, though some catch on quicker than others. He was not one of those people. Patience was carved into him, one agonizing wound at a time that started with a flood of blood and a whisper of betrayals to come. It was built on innocence broken and a shattering of trust. From there, patience continued to teach its harsh lessons.

In failures that came from rushing too fast, pushing too far when he had yet to understand. Until one day, he knew. He had understood that what he needed was not currently here. And he knew that there was a way to learn, and quickly at that. But it would cost. He was, however, well beyond all reasonable thought.

Or perhaps he was too far consumed by it, by a cold logic that knew only how to get what it wanted in the most efficient manner. Even if it meant plunging his hand into his best friend's chest and leaving with only the whisper of hope that he would live. Because he could not wait for help to come. He had to be gone.

Five more years behind him, and now he was standing here. The wind was hot as it stirred the leaves, occasionally stripping the branches of green too weak to cling to existence. He watched calmly, unmoved. Miles upon miles in sat a village nestled in the midst of this jade-crowned heat. Hidden away, though he had hardly forgotten the paths to and from that place.

_All roads lead home._

What a wretched word – home. The more time he had spent away from here, the more he had come to realize that Konoha was nothing of the sort. Had never been since that night. It was a burden. A blistering memory that refused to sit quietly in the back of his mind. Even if he no longer reacted when they resurfaced, unbidden, in the middle of dreams, he found the fact that they still lived annoying. A failure.

And a lifeline.

Because they were the reason he moved forward. Step-by-step. They were the relentless pursuers of his future.

Patience had taught him well, though. He could brush aside these flashing pictures of the past, the murmurs of voices so well known as though they meant nothing (but could never be forgotten). Could look them straight in the eye as they fought Hell itself to find him and inform them of how easy it would be to kill them. Leave them lying motionless, shock spread over their faces like a shroud, pain etched in every line of their faces.

With a shift in the wind to the south, he moved forward to tackle the undergrowth. Not that he had to, but there was something in him that wanted to take its time, wanted to relish in this new sense of alone. Isolated by the knowledge that betrayal came in so many forms. Soon enough, there would be nothing of alone. It was easy to predict Konoha.

Still, there was reluctance. A desire to turn away from the source of everything he was. It was a place steeped in personal misery. Regret and desire that mingled and merged. It was the last place he wanted to be, and somehow was the very place he needed to be. Ironic, he supposed, is what you would call that. That the key to it all lay in the very place he had forsaken.

He stopped. Fingers tugged at the mud-splattered sleeves of his cloak, then stilled by his sides. This would be as far as he got. As far as he needed to go. Looking only ahead, he studied the shadows as they flirted with the sunlight. He chose to remain where he was, sheltered within the coolness of a dark offered only by a forest thick with growth. Untouched by war for years now. It was fresh, sprouts of life climbing through the earth and up into the chilled air. Knowing nothing of violence, only the passage of time and the never-there steps of ninjas.

If they lasted long enough, he knew they would come to know of more than that. Of human hate, of destruction wrought through any means possible. They would become old and scarred, living testaments to the chaos that was humanity. Blood would one day feed their roots and splash over their leaves. Metal would grind into the skin of trees and dig into the blackened earth. And then the rains would come and wash away it all away.

But like the human heart, the scars would simply be overtaken. By tangles of vines, patches of moss and weather-toughened bark. To cover and protect, but beneath it all lay the marks that betrayed their experiences. Things that could too easily be stripped away to reveal it all.

"State your name."

Dark eyes glanced up, saw nothing. But he knew where they were. Three total, foreheads bound by the same metal clad cloth. And he knew that a name was not necessary, but that this was to be the first of many tests. Hands by his sides, he raised them, then tucked them neatly behind his head, fingers interlacing with one another.

A smirk, stubborn in its haughtiness, sat upon his lips.

"Uchiha Sasuke."


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: This was started a year ago, and despite recent events in the manga, I've decided to keep to the original story idea I had in mind. I may make some minor changes to reflect various things in the manga, but as of yet, I've not settled on what I will and will not include. In either case, consider yourself warned regarding time skip events. And as with most my pieces regarding these two, written for the lovely Jamie.

* * *

Neji barely had a moment to brush the dust from his pants when the summons came. Not that it would be the first time he had been called for upon returning from a mission, but the instances were few nonetheless. Despite the relative peace over the past two years, there was no denying that most of Konoha's forces (almost every ninja village for that matter for Akatsuki's plans had spared none) were green. Too fresh in battle to be fully counted on. Too valuable a commodity to be spent in wasted efforts. It all meant that those who were better suited for high-ranking missions could no longer rely on a few days off. 

That didn't particularly bother him. Better that than wasting his talents stringing together B-ranked missions just because it brought in money. Better yet than sitting around the Hyuuga compound attending to clan duties. When given the choice, Neji preferred not to think on that particular aspect of his life. Though, given the state of things only a few years ago, he had little room to voice complaint. Better a favored dog than an unrecognized slave.

With only a bow of his head to the messenger, Neji took off in the direction of Tsunade's office.

* * *

He knew they wouldn't kill him. However, despite whatever orders they had received, he also knew it wouldn't stop them from exacting their own brand of vengeance upon him. It was just how the human mind worked. When justice failed to be perceived, someone, inevitably, did what they felt was _better than nothing_. 

But Sasuke didn't mind. Because he knew the world wasn't fair. There was no such thing as perfect rule, nothing that existed along the lines of a perfect conscience. He was as marred as the next, and somewhere along the way he had come to accept that part of himself. Embraced it even because it was all those little imperfections that would get him what he wanted.

It was all the little wrong things that made the world interesting.

Even so, it hurt. As if a part of him cried out for all that he refused to voice, seeking revenge on him for failing to stop what he could so easily if he had just wanted to. Pale lips formed a tight line as the next verse of the seal was branded onto his skin. That was what it felt like at least. A hot blade slicing deep into skin, and unsatisfied, piercing muscle and carving into bone.

Pain enough to be felt, but not to be run from. Sasuke didn't put it past his. . .doctors to have engineered this just so. There would be no out offered from this, no comforting words telling him to hold on just a little bit longer. This was not Kakashi tending to him for his own good.

Sasuke ground his teeth together harshly. For a son of fire, he almost had to laugh at this. Because there were elements other than flame that could burn, the kind that left you without hope of recovery. His forearm throbbed, as if all the blood flowing just beneath his skin had slowed to a near crawl, thick with ice. That brand of hot that was deadlier than any flame he claimed to know. It lulled the senses into thinking nothing was there before settling in with a solid bite. Cold and unforgiving. 

* * *

"Uchiha Sasuke has returned." 

Neji made no movement at that. Did his best to control his reaction because there most certainly was one. He had suffered for that boy's sake. Had nearly forfeit his life. . .

No.

He hadn't done any of that for Sasuke. He had done it for Naruto. Because he owed Sasuke nothing. This village owed him nothing. His eyes narrowed.

"And. . .?"

Tsunade's chair gave a muted creak as she sat back. Somewhere nearby a crow cawed. Neji thought he could see the shimmer of sun on onyx at the left edge of the window. Hours before, he had calculated the minutes until sunrise, yet in the seconds it had taken his Hokage to speak those words time seemed to have stopped. Slowed to a painful halt that served only to fuel his irritation over the matter. It didn't help that he could see an answer wasn't forthcoming. Not yet at least.

But he didn't move. Too disciplined even in the face of his frustration to ever give into it so easily. He waited, arms locked behind his back, Anbu mask shifting imperceptibly against his left forearm with every breath he took. He knew Tsunade would take her time with this. For all the worthlessness of words sometimes, the wrong ones could make all the difference, and he was well aware that he was the one most likely to pull apart, ruthlessly at that, the ones that failed to convince.

"Two days ago, he was spotted approaching the village," she began. Neither nervous nor expectant, she watched the Hyuuga genius. Nothing at all like a commander and their subordinate, but more like two cats carefully assessing one other. Each aware of what the other was capable of, each aware of their position, and yet neither willing to back down just yet. "He surrendered without a fight. Not even a word of protest. . ."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"It was agreed that you would be the one to watch him, Neji."

Whatever reaction he had to that was carefully regulated. There was no quick retaliation of words, only a parting of lips, which Neji quickly shut. Tsunade never took her eyes off of him though, and after a good minute, he finally shifted. Tossing his weight from one foot to another until he finally moved his gaze from Tsunade to the sprawl of Konoha strewn out behind her.

Neji knew every alleyway, every possible spot of ambush that this place held, and yet he suddenly felt like he didn't know Konoha at all. With the threat of Akatsuki gone, it had been far too easy to fall back into old, familiar habits these last two years. He hated how he was already anticipating what this would mean. Not just for himself either.

"I don't see how this involves me. We have a perfectly fine jail. . ."

Tsunade immediately silenced him with a quick swipe of her hand through the air. "I have discussed this already with the elders. A jail will not hold that boy. You should be well aware of that."

"There's Naruto."

"Naruto can't be trusted with Sasuke."

Neji took a step back. Fingers flexed against his wrists before they gave up their hold and he pulled his arms back in front of him. It would be easy enough to walk out of here, to turn his back on this whole ridiculous idea. Weren't they already struggling to fill the demand placed on their top-ranked ninja? The corner of his lips pulled back with the hint of a would-be snarl. Complete and utter displeasure.

"I don't think this village can afford to have me sidelined to. . ._babysit_ some ungrateful traitor, Tsunade-sama," the Hyuuga genius grit out.

All things considered, Sasuke was lucky he hadn't been sentenced to death on the spot. It was more than enough to make Neji hate the situation all the more.

Tsunade rose from her seat. Placing both hands firmly on the mess of papers scattered over her desk, she leaned forward, fixing her sights intently on Neji. It was a look that dared challenge. "**You**, Neji, are the only one currently capable of this task. There is no one else."

Her final statement was carefully punctuated, placing emphasis on each and every word. Another invite for disagreement. Another chance to lose this battle. Neji kicked his head a little higher, eyes locked defiantly with Tsunade's.

"Don't expect hospitality."

With a sigh, Tsunade fell back into her chair and set a single slender finger to her temple. "I don't really care what the hell you do with the brat as long as you don't kill him." 

* * *

The overhead light was blinding. At that moment, Sasuke wasn't sure what hurt more – his left arm or the headache currently ramming itself into the back of his skull. But he could still move, and that was all that mattered. And he knew that in another half hour or so he would feel little of the ache in his arm. The seal over his shoulder had already dulled to something quite manageable. 

For the most part, it was quiet. Just the barest whispers of conversation streaming out from the far right corner of the room. Nothing he cared to decipher for himself. After all, there was no information from them he needed. Nothing he cared to need at the moment at least. There were plenty of ways to garner information without directly eavesdropping, so Sasuke merely gave an obvious shift of his weight on the bed. Nothing to arouse suspicion, but something sure to startle nonetheless.

The murmuring halted for a moment, silence creeping through the cracks of the unsaid to fill the void. He smirked, then shut his eyes. The lighting was still making his thoughts break out into irrational screams every now and then.

No sooner had he closed his eyes, however, there was a rough poke into his left calf. Quick to follow in its wake were the rattle of chains, links chiming against one another as the leather cuffs holding him down were undone. Then, the hesitation of fear, the brief holding of breath where further action hinged on a single moment. Sasuke merely laid there, eyelids still effectively blocking out the world around him.

"Get up," came the callous command. Beneath it though, Sasuke could still detect the current of worry.

He opened one eye. There were at least five of them still in the room. Another three waiting just outside the door. They, however, were not what he would call hospital staff. Despite Tsunade's words, he could see that she was taking every precaution with him. Even if she felt him no threat to Konoha itself, she certainly refused to trust him.

Not that he could blame her.

Opening his other eye, Sasuke finally set about completing the task assigned to him. Slowly. There was no point in fraying nerves already sufficiently split. After all, he had given Tsunade his word that he wasn't here to torment her citizens in any way. At least not knowingly.

On the chair beside his bed sat a clean pair of clothes. Other than a sheet placed rather strategically over his lower half, he was completely nude. Everything he had come with had been confiscated hours ago. Burned by this point for all he knew.

Without any other further orders to go on, though he could probably guess what his next course of action was to be, Sasuke set about examining the new marks upon his skin. His summoning tattoo was completely bound. Tiny, near illegible writing outlining every black edge. Barely noticeable, yes, but rather potent. It was hard to ignore the current of power it wove around that mark, jostling for irrefutable control. In the end, just another sensation to get used to. He splayed his fingers against his thigh before balling them into a tight fist, which he immediately released upon sensing the elevated tension in the room.

The man nearest to him motioned towards the clothing. Not bothering to wait for the female attendants to leave the room, Sasuke slipped from the bed and began stepping into the pants that had been provided for him.

"Engage the Sharingan."

Fingers made no move to stop. Pulling the mesh undershirt over his head, he merely glanced at the one who had issued his latest command, unable to control the disdain that fluttered over his face. He couldn't yet decide whether they had asked that of him because they weren't entirely certain of their work or because they simply got off on some sense of perverse justice. He didn't particularly care either way. It wasn't going to change his answer.

"You know I can't."

The man shifted, lips pulling downward. Grimacing. "That wasn't a choice."

There was the familiar pull of anger at that. He wasn't some dog here to do tricks. Wasn't their personal experiment either. Sasuke tugged the remaining black T-shirt roughly over his head, gave his hair a brief run through with his fingers. But patience had taught him well. His anger slunk back into the shadows it had crawled from as he turned to face the crowd awaiting his next move.

As soon as he sought the chakra necessary, Sasuke knew it would backfire. There was a sharp jolt that shot out from the seal on his shoulder, the strength of it forcing him to one knee. It surged through his body, spiraling up and down his spine and striking lighting in the back of his eyes. Sasuke shut them immediately, shoved the groan that rose in the wake of that act back down his throat.

But worse than all of that was the wash of satisfaction that lapped around him. He pulled himself up immediately, silencing their gloating with one wicked glare aimed in their direction. Sharp and condescending. He wasn't to be taken so lightly. Sasuke tilted his chin up, haughty. The one who never forgot that he was still an heir to one of the most powerful clans that had ever existed in Konoha.

"Are you done?" 

* * *

_There is one last thing, Neji._

It was a curious piece, he had to admit. Sitting directly, as it did now, beneath the sun, it glinted a bright, polished blue. But with the sun playing behind it. . .

"So, they sent you."

Neji turned around, pulling the bracelet out of the sunlight as he spun to face his charge. The last time he had seen the Uchiha heir. . .

"Put this on."

Sasuke eyed the string of beads critically. Then looked at Neji as if to say_You'd think they all thought I came here to murder every one of you_. Lips pulled upward, the same old smirk that had graced Sasuke's mouth all those years ago. He swiped the bracelet from Neji's hand and slipped it easily over his right wrist.

"And this is. . .?" he asked, studying the beads carefully now. Holding his wrist up to the sun, he blinked in surprise as the color shifted from piercing blue to translucent amber. The only thing that didn't fade were the black symbols painted painstakingly, he imagined, onto each round surface. Sasuke brought his hand back down.

"A measure of trust."


	4. Chapter 3

It wasn't the kind of place he had imagined. Not quite the haunt of ghosts he had expected. Though, there was an unsettled air about the house, made all the thicker by the shadows that crawled over every surface. Having nothing in the way of personal effects anymore, Sasuke merely stepped out of the shoes he had been provided.

Silence had been the only thing between them on the walk back. Aside from the few words that had been exchanged during his retrieval from the hospital, Neji had offered up nothing. Given that, he didn't expect the Hyuuga to start a conversation anytime soon. But one would be hard pressed to ignore the tension that sat all around the older boy. It carried with it the familiar weaving of long-nursed hatred, and in spite of himself, Sasuke had taken a small amount of comfort in this reception he had received. Being welcomed with opened arms. . .well, he hadn't expected it.

There was only the faintest rustle of clothing as Neji moved further into the house. A sound, Sasuke knew, that was _allowed_. A reminder. He wasn't alone, wouldn't be for a very long time. Smirking, he followed the older boy. At this point, there would be no taking of liberties. He could play the game that was currently being set before him.

Not that he would let Neji forget that it was a choice he had made and nothing more. He didn't expect anything else from the Hyuuga, though. Neji was far too perceptive to play for a fool.

It almost made him miss Naruto.

Almost.

When he stepped into the living area, it was with an overly overt thud of feet. Neji halted, body stiff. Waiting. Sasuke could read the desire to turn on him in the tightness of those muscles, the lines of veins straining against skin. If he had to say one thing about Neji, it was that somewhere in the time he had left, the older boy had become more. . .human. Or merely more accepting of his own emotions. It wasn't that Neji had suddenly become more open, easily read like picking out clouds in a near spotless sky, but what had once been a thick casing of ice had dwindled into mere frost cover. Enough to chill, enough to kill the weak, but not enough to deter the most persistent of life.

Hyuuga Neji had changed, and Sasuke wasn't certain whether this would work in his favor. It would be easier to deal with ice. That could easily be manipulated, shaped and carved, and at worst remained unmovable. He could always work around it, but with fire. . .A simple shift in the wind, and everything could burn to the ground.

With fire, you had to be careful. Sasuke knew that better than anyone.

There was another rustle of cloth as Neji walked away. Apparently, he had given up on thoughts of strangling his charge in favor of tending to himself. Sasuke merely followed, once again, as the Hyuuga genius made his way into the kitchen. He stopped, however, in the doorway, and made no move when a shock of light hit Neji's face as he opened the refrigerator. Instead, he leaned against the wooden frame, arms folded casually over his chest.

From the living room, Sasuke could make out the steady ticking of a clock. One second after another falling into nothingness, another forgotten moment. He yawned.

The bottle of water Neji had been drinking from rested against his bottom lip, no fluid moving in or out. The older boy flexed his fingers against the cap in his hand, then took one more swallow before pulling his arm, bottle and all, down to his side. He shut the refrigerator door with an unnecessary shove.

"What are you doing back here?" he asked. Irritated, but in that impossibly controlled manner. Tight and restricted in tone.

Glancing back into the room they had just left, Sasuke watched as the moonlight began to encroach on the domain of shadows. Slivers of silver stealing along the floor, trailing over the arm of a chair and spilling into its seat. It gave the whole living area an unearthly glow, eerie almost. Somehow, it reminded him of Neji's eyes – pale, and shrouding a world of secrets.

But hadn't that always been the rumor about the Hyuuga household? Sometimes, Sasuke wondered if Neji ever realized just how much he embodied the idea of Hyuuga.

"I didn't realize there was an issue with me wanting to return home."

Neji said nothing to that for a moment. His wrist curved towards his hip, causing the water to slosh about inside its plastic confines. They both knew the problems with that reply. There was simply no way any Uchiha - not at this point - could ever step into Konoha without raising some level of Hell.

Stepping over to Sasuke, the older boy paused just long enough to speak before heading off down the right hallway. "There's nothing here for you anymore, Uchiha."

* * *

He slept on the couch.

There had been little else to do once Neji had left him [not as alone as one would care to believe with a Hyuuga, so Sasuke had merely grabbed himself a bottle of water and settled in for the night. Didn't even bother to stay up. Probably couldn't have even if that had been the point. Despite the dissipation of ache in his body, there was no denying that what he had just suffered through had sapped him of any real desire to cause trouble. At least, not this early in the game.

Besides, he knew the older boy wouldn't bother to seek out sleep until he was beyond certain his charge had given himself over to its hold. So he gave in, leaving the empty bottle of water on the small coffee table in the Hyuuga's living room.

It was the sight he woke up to, in fact. Sunlight piercing through the plastic and shattering over the glossy dark wood top. Before making any move to rise, Sasuke counted the drops of water still clinging to the sides.

He could hear Neji moving about in the kitchen. Water was poured into a glass; rice was scooped from a container. Every now and then, he could feel the fall of Neji's shadow in the room, could almost imagine the tight line of displeasure sitting on the other's lips. It was more than enough to make him smirk. Satisfied.

Wasn't really all that hard to see that Neji was a creature of habit in his own home.

Sasuke rose slowly, though he made no move to stand. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair, noting the relative dishevelment threaded throughout it. He would have to seek out a shower later. What Neji intended to do about giving him his own personal toiletries, though, was beyond him at this moment. Considering the fact that one look into the kitchen easily showed there was nothing in the way of a place setting for him, Sasuke imagined nothing of the like had been considered.

No. It had been considered, noted, and then completely ignored. He let loose a soft puff of air at that, amused. At least the Hyuuga genius was quiet about it.

Rising to his feet, he gave only a cursory glance to the outside. He recalled Neji padding into the room early – very early - that morning to open the screen. Just further proof that this was how their whole affair was expected to run its course. It was a nice view though. A garden pristinely cared for, if one chose to call it that. Just the barest hint of color sitting amidst a wash of green and grey, all neatly tucked and neatly ordered along the stone wall that enclosed Neji's living quarters. If anything, it looked like a finely tended fighting ring. In either case, Sasuke had a hard time imagining Neji having anything to do with it. But who was he to make that call?

He turned from the sight and made his way into the kitchen. The older boy was already cleaning his eating utensils, sender fingers moving easily over porcelain beneath a steady stream of water. But despite the similarity in both – skin and ceramic – there was no mistaking which was alive, a fact that had nothing to do with movement. It was in the warmth. For all that lifeless shade of white inspired, Sasuke could _feel_ the heat pulsing along Neji's fingers.

The Hyuuga genius set his bowl on top of a light blue towel. Did it all without so much as a single flick of a glance in Sasuke's direction. Instead, he returned his attention to the chopsticks still waiting patiently in the bottom of the sink.

"If you're not going to provide me with my own toothbrush, I'll use yours," Sasuke said calmly. He deftly scooped rice into the bowl Neji had just washed, shutting the cooker with a solid click. "I doubt your mouth has been up to much."

There was only the smallest hint of a reaction at that. Muscles tightened along the length of Neji's spine. Lips pulled just a bit more taut, enough to see a thin line of white forming at the center. Without a word, however, the older boy simply placed the chopsticks on the opposite side of the basin and turned toward the room's exit.

"Wash those. Hell only knows where yours has been, Uchiha."

Sasuke merely smirked as Neji left him once more.

* * *

Did it bother him?

Not particularly. Loneliness was not something he considered a problem. And it wasn't a simple matter of forgetting all about it. He understood far too well that loneliness was something that resided within you. That it was patient and quiet and had the horrid habit of catching you at your worst. Sasuke knew that the key to overcoming loneliness rested solely in the belief that what you did would make any and all suffering well worth it.

It was knowing that it was for you alone to endure. A bitter means to a bitter end.

Dishes were washed as he had been informed to do, irregardless of the delivery. Even as genin there had been tension between the two of them. He had hardly expected any of that to have evaporated over the course his absence, and from what he had learned of the older boy, grudges were a particular favorite indulgence of his. The longer kept the better, sort of like good wine.

If anything, he rather liked Neji's treatment. It gave him something to look forward. Besides, there was no harm in drinking up someone else's animosity to remind you of your own.

Following his stint in the kitchen, Sasuke set about getting himself straightened up. Though he didn't particularly enjoy knowing he hadn't showered in three days, it wasn't anything new to him. His life, the life of any ninja for that matter, was not one of convenience.

And he figured if Neji still had mind to keep on eye on him, then that was his business. It wasn't going to change the fact that he needed a hot shower

The Hyuuga's bathroom was as neat as he had expected it to be. Everything had its place. Everything was always returned to its place. He could only smirk at that and contemplate the idea of throwing it all into chaos. Fingers drifted over the caps of shampoo and conditioner, toyed with the frosted white shower curtain. Nothing cheap, but nothing overly expensive either. Not that any of it bordered mediocrity either. It was _well to do_ but certainly overstepped no bounds. Done with his survey of the room, he turned on the water, waiting until the steam rose.

Sasuke didn't bother shutting the door all the way.

* * *

"Since you haven't cared to inform me of the basics. . ." the Uchiha heir drawled, his gaze drifting over Neji's form. In his hand, he carried the shirt they had provided him at the hospital. The black material was bunched up tightly, fabric winding in on fabric, which caused it to spiral in a wave of unraveling as fingers relinquished their hold. It fell to the wooden planks of the back porch with a dead thud. ". . .this place is as good as any."

Neji offered only a brief glance in his general direction before returning to the kata series he had been running through. Sasuke merely shrugged before settling himself against one of the beams. After his shower, he had discovered the older boy outside as he moved through the various forms and figures of the Hyuuga discipline. It was easily enough recognized to anyone who had lived in Konoha, just like those unmistakable white eyes.

Smooth and controlled. Neji flowed from one movement to another without any regard for his audience. But, Sasuke knew that the Hyuuga genius was acutely aware of his presence. Was annoyed by it even, if the sudden rigidity in the last thrust of a fist forward was any indication. Neji didn't stop, however. Merely swept neatly around, back now facing his charge.

It made no difference to the Uchiha heir, though. He watched, almost disinterested. Every now and then, he would turn his attention to the sky above. A pristine sort of blue, spotted with the occasional wash of white. A lie really. For all the coolness those colors suggested, the atmosphere was heavy with heat. It was warm enough still that the lack of a shirt didn't bother him in the slightest. Warm enough that for as fluid as Neji moved there were the tell-tale hints of sweat on his brow, still marked but no longer hidden.

But Neji didn't remind him of a man bothered by heat. Still too much ice for a day like this to destroy. And true to form, the older boy slid from figure to figure without any hesitation, a seamless dance. The moves known, perhaps even loved.

* * *

That was the pattern they settled into. Sasuke paid no attention to the hours, but rather to the routine. In the morning, Neji woke him up, always coming into the living room to crack open the door regardless of the weather. Then came breakfast, always the same thing for the most part, and always alone. As soon as he entered the kitchen, the Hyuuga genius prepared to leave. Eventually, though always before eleven o'clock, Neji would begin his practice. Outside, if the weather permitted it, or else in the small dojo that Sasuke had come to know existed just two doors down from the older boy's room.

Over the next few days of their co-habitation, Sasuke found that he did in fact have a toothbrush to call his own as well as a sudden influx of clothing that came with a rather sharp jab about size and an imaginary need to walk around relatively naked. Neji had yet to say anything about a bedroom, but given some of the places he had slept over the last few years, the Hyuuga's couch wasn't such a bad option. All things considered, the Uchiha heir found his lock-down situation something of a nonentity.

Not that it was an easy existence. However, it soon became comfortable enough. He wouldn't go as far as saying that Neji had resigned himself to his duty, but rather took it all in stride. Conversations didn't occur. There would only be a brief exchange of words, and only when either of them were feeing particularly confined by their living arrangements.

In the afternoons, any number of events might occur, but over time Sasuke came to realize that even that had a brand of regimen tacked onto it. For the first week, however, Neji never left the house. Groceries came, as he found out, through visits from Hinata. He had caught her staring at him once when he happened to walk past the front door on his way to the kitchen. As expected, she immediately averted her eyes, only to turn her gaze on him when she realized he had stopped walking. But there was no fear there, not even blatant curiosity.

Sasuke was certain that if he had waited any longer, the Hyuuga girl might have actually tried to smile at him.

By the third week, Neji's frustration seemed to get the better of him. As far as Sasuke was concerned, though, whether he left the house or not, he didn't really care. Just about everything he needed was right there, and those few things that weren't, he was certain would fall into place given enough time. So every time Neji uttered some dagger-point comment in his general direction, he merely parried with his own and offered an arrogant sticks-and-stones sort of smirk.

It was around that time (after a particularly hostile morning routine, if he recalled correctly, where for the first time he had actually been required – he wouldn't exactly say _allowed_ - to make his own meal) that Neji started dragging him out into public. Hadn't really been much of a choice. The Hyuuga genius had merely tossed him a long-sleeved shirt and informed him that they were going out with a glare colder than a mid-winter's snowdrift.

Most of the time, he merely followed the older boy as he ran laps around the village. It wasn't a difficult task, keeping up with Hyuuga Neji. Efforts were made to keep a certain amount of distance between them though, and after only a few laps, Sasuke came to enjoy pushing against those invisible boundaries.

The first few times certainly drew a crowd, though. That, he had to admit, he hadn't cared for. Like the family dog that turned feral. That's how they looked at him now, a carefully collared danger. Enticing and beautiful, but feared and hated at the same time.

But over the weeks, even that novelty wore off. Giving that he never did anything, not noticeably at least, to test his chains, the charm of anticipation was lost.

* * *

"Why are you still here, Uchiha?"

They were seated in the living area. It had taken at least six weeks, but now Neji no longer dismissed himself immediately when Sasuke entered a room. This was the first time, however, that he had actually spoken to him. Usually these moments consisted of both of them sitting together, one on each side of the room, a moat of silence spanning between them. Sasuke had taken to reading whatever he pulled from Neji's bookshelves, while Neji perused whatever paperwork demanded his attention that night.

It was no different this evening. The Uchiha heir flipped to the next page without a single flick of his gaze upward. But Neji was patient, kept his eyes trained solely on the other boy. Sasuke knew he would wait for his answer. After all, it wasn't as if the Hyuuga genius had anything better to spend his time on.

Another minute later, another page down, Sasuke finally looked up. "Maybe because I like your presence, Hyuuga."

He could already tell from the tightening of Neji's lips that his answer had not been well received. Smirking, Sasuke returned his attention to the book in his lap. An air of dissatisfaction began to pervade the circle Neji had drawn around him, never broken by close contact. Not since their first moment together when he had pulled the bracelet from the older boy's hand.

Neji was waiting. Even though they both knew no honest answer would be forthcoming. An awkward truce, if anything. Tenuous, like a poorly strung bow just waiting to snap in the right hands. Just something to get them through. As long as that was to be - Tsunade hadn't offered anything in the way of relief for Neji on that front.

"Or maybe you'd like me to tell you that I've come here to finish what Orochimaru failed to do," Sasuke said evenly. Another page was turned. "Though that would be more of a lie than my first statement."

There was an audible shift after that, followed by the settling of paper on wood. Neji was on his feet. Glaring. However, Sasuke remained completely unfazed, eyes locking with the older boy's without the faintest trace of emotion. Just that cold arrogance that knew nothing but its own sense of supremacy.

Neji's hands clenched at his sides. Buying time as mind worked through the sudden upheaval of rage and settled into something that was more characteristically Neji. All of that, however, was suddenly dropped. The older boy turned his head towards the door, and Sasuke resumed his reading once more.

Whether it was someone for him or not, the Uchiha heir simply didn't care. Just one more thing to take in stride.

There was only a brief knock before the door was pushed opened. Calloused fingers curved around the wooden edge, and immediately Sasuke could sense the release of tension in Neji's muscles. Not that he bothered to look up at that. No, it wasn't Neji's reaction that drew his attention - it was the voice that suddenly flowed through the opening. Hardened by hurt and regrettably familiar.

"Neji?" Naruto called as he stepped just inside the door. "Tsunade wants you."


End file.
